Curtain positioning means



Dec. 16, 1958 H. M. GARBER CURTAIN POSITIONING MEANS FiledMarch 26, 1957 R y. M

United States Patent CURTAIN .POSITIONING MEANS Henry M. Gather, Elizabethtown, Pa.

Application March 26, 1951, Serial 'No. 648,670

' l-lClaim. (CIA-149) This invention relates to improvements in curtain positioning means and, more particularly, in curtain positioning means adapted for use with shower curtains and especially certain edges of shower'curtains such as the vertical edge adjacent one wall of the shower compartment or a wall adjacent a bath tub relative'to' which said vertical edge of the curtain is to be'positioned.

At present, it is common practice to provide in shower stalls or abath tub compartment. in. a bathroom, horizontal rods orpoles upon which the upper edge .of a shower curtain is slidably connected'by suitable loops or ring-like members in order that.the shower curtain may be moved along said rod or pole to permit access to the tub or stall and then permit sliding the curtain to closed position. In many such installations, one vertical edge of the shower curtain is positioned adjacent a wall near the shower head or through which the shower head projects, whereby when the shower is turned on, drafts are established which cause the curtain to move and usually billow inwardly, whereby the curtain frequently moves from the wall adjacent which it has been moved. Spraying of the shower water upon the floor of the bath room outside the tub or shower stall frequently results.

Theiprincipal object of the present invention is to pro- Videreadily attachable magnets and small metallic members having a substantially high content of ironaand to whichthe magnets are magnetically 'connectable .in .a readily detachable manner. The magnets or metallic members. selectively may be connected either to the shower'curtain or wall to which,'for example, .one edge oflthe shower curtain is to be detachably connected to prevent any substantial space occurring between the .curtain'and'wall as when the shower spray is turned .on.

'Another object of the invention is to provide onsaid magnets and metallic members means whereby the :same readily may be attached selectively to said shower curtain or wall,'the preferred embodiment of the. invention employing a: pressure sensitive adhesive of the tackytype for'thistpurpose.

A further object .of the invention is to provide aset of magnets and "metallic members to which an adhesive coating hasbeen applied on one surface and said surface is covered temporarilyrby a protective sheet-like member which is peelable'from theadhesive surfaces of the magnets and metallicmembers, whereby said adhesive surfaces'are protected :until' ready for installation upon said curtain'or wall.

*Still'another object of the invention is to provide said magnets and metallic members preferably with an outer coating which will render the same rust-proof, the preferred embodiment of the invention contemplating a rustproof metallic coating which is plated such as by electrolytic processes upon said magnets and metallic members.

'Details-of the foregoing objects and of'the invention, as"we'll"as other 'objects thereof, 'are setforth in the following specification and illustrated in the drawing comprising -a"part thereof.

A 2,864,096 Patented Dec. 16, 1958 ice . bodying the principles of the present invention being shown in said figure.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of one edge of a shower'curtain in which a magnet has been mounted, said magnet being magnetically connected to a metallic member'attachable to a wall of the bath room in accordance with the principles of the invention.

.Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical View similar'to Fig. 2 but taken substantially at a right angle thereto.

Fig. 4 .is a view similar to Fig. .3 but showing the magnet mounted in the hem of a shower curtain and magnetically attached to a metallic tile surface.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal plan section of the arrangement shownin Fig. 3 and illustrating fragmentary portions of a wall and curtain with which the positioning means comprising the invention have been incorporated.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional elevation showing a fragmentary portion of a curtain to which a magnet has been attached directly by adhesive to one surface of the curtain, in accordance with the principles of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a metallic member having adhesive affixed to one surface thereof and the .adhesive covered by a protective member, this view illustrating the metallic members in the preferred embodiment of the invention to show the members as included in a set as sold to a customer.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing a permanent magnet member in the condition in which it is included in a set sold to a customer and in which condition the adhesive is aiiixed to one surface of the magnet, the adhesive being covered by a protective member.

Although a bath tub and shower curtain have been selected for illustration in Fig. 1 of the drawings to represent a preferred use of the present invention, it is to be understood that the curtain positioning means comprising the present invention may be used with other types of curtains such as windowcurtains and drapes for purposes of detachably connecting, for example, one edge of-said curtains or drapes to a wall or one side of a door frame or window frame, for example. Hence, the specific illustration of the present invention is not .to be regarded as restrictive of use ofthe invention solely with a shower curtain and wall to which a portion of the shower curtain is to be .connected detachably.

Referring to Fig. 1, theexemplary illustration comprises a tile -wall ill composed of ceramic tile for example. A conventionalbath tub 12 has one edge abutting the wall 10 in conventional manner. A curtain rod or pole 14 is connected at one end to the wall 10 and is shaped to conform substantially to the outline of the. tub 12 in conventional manner. The flexible shower curtain 16 may be formed of any suitable material such as flexible sheet plastic, woven .fabric, or the like, and the upper edge has suitable rings 18 of the usual typeby which the upper edge of the curtain 16 is slidably movable along the curtain rod 14. A conventional shower head 20 projects from the wall .10 .intothe shower compartment defined by the tub 12 and curtain .16 when positioned for shower use.

In accordance with. the principles of thepresent invention the curtainpositiouingineans thereof comprise a pluralityof metallicinembers22 whichpreferrably are relatively small steel discs .of about one inch in diameter and one-sixteenthinchrthick. ..Such .discs readilysmay be punched from sheet stock of steel or and other suitable metal having a substantial content of iron. Preferably, the metallic members 22 are coated with any suitable material such as lacquer or, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, said members may be plated electrolytically with any suitable rustproof metal such as nickel or chromium. These specific metals are not to be regarded as restrictive since others are suitable, including cadmium. Only a relatively thin plating with such metals is required to render the members 22 rust-proof and such plating does not effect the use of the members in accordance with the principles of the invention as described hereinafter.

The metallic members 22 are connected to the wall 10, for example, at vertically spaced intervals by suitable adhesive such as any of the now readily available pressure sensitive adhesives of the tacky type. A layer 24 of such adhesive is placed upon one surface of each metallic member 22 so as to adhere thereto substantially permanently. Adhesive of this type readily is attachable to any wall surface in at least a semi-permanent manner, including ceramic tile, painted plaster wall surfaces, and the like. When the wall surface to which one edge of the curtain is to be attached is formed of a metal base such as metal base enamelled tiles, sheet metal shower stall walls, and the like, the metallic members 22 largely are superfluous but may be used if desired.

The present invention contemplates the use of relatively small permanent magnets 26 which are connected in any one of a number of suitable methods to one edge of the shower curtain 16 for example. Shower curtains usually are provided with a hem 28 on the vertical edges as well as the top and bottom edges. Such hem is readily suitable to contain a number of the permanent magnets 26 which are spaced longitudinally within said hem in accordance with the spacing of the metallic members 22 on the wall for example. Under circumstances where newly manufactured shower curtains are provided with positioning means in accordance with the present invention, the magnets 26 may be secured within the hem 28 by additional stitching extending transversely of the hem 28 so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the magnets 26 within the hem. A very ready means of attaching such magnets to either used or new shower curtains is contemplated in accordance with the invention however and comprises the application of a layer of adhesive 30 which is similar to the adhesive coating 24 on the metallic members 22, and is applied preferably only to one surface of each magnet 26. The adhesive layer 30 remains permanently connected to the magnets and is at least semi-permanently connectable to most types of material from which shower curtains are made.

The magnets 26 preferably are of the high magnetic type of which at least one commercial variety is available under the trademark Alnico. The preferred material is an alloy containing cobalt, tungsten, chromium, or the like. Aluminum-nickel alloys, modified with various metals also are useful as magnets for this purpose. Preferably, especially if the magnets have a sufficient iron content to render them capable of rusting when exposed to water, the magnets preferably are coated by any suitable means such as those described above relative to metallic members 22, including plating the magnets with suitable rust-proof metal, such plating not affecting the magnetic power of the magnet in use. Magnets of this type are capable of affording a substantial amount of magnetic holding force relative to the metallic members 22, even through the magnets may be mounted with-in the hem 28 of a shower curtain when used relative to the metallic members 22. However, when an adhesive layer 30 is used to attach such magnets to the outer surface of a shower curtain, the full magnetic effect of the magnets is employed to detachably connect the same and the shower curtain to the relatively permanently fixed metallic members 22 on the wall 10 for example.

In use, the shower curtain 16 may be slidably moved along curtain rod 14 to open the shower compartment to permit access to the tub 12 for example, and then the curtain 16 is quickly drawn to the closed position illustrated exemplarily in Fig.1. Inasmuch as the vertical edge of the curtain to which the magnets 26 have been affixed depends from the fixedly positioned rod 14, when the edge having the magnets thereon is moved manually into engagement with the wall 10 and in proximity to the metallic members 22, the magnets in the edge of the curtain will be spaced properly to easily engage the metallic members 22 quickly and readily with a substantially snapping action as the magnets 26 approach said members 22. The holding power of the magnets relative to the metallic members 22 is sufiicient to hold the edge of the curtain against the wall notwithstanding substantial drafts either from breezes within the bath room as when the window is open, or the billowing effect normally induced by water spraying from the shower head 20, especially when the water first is turned on.

.At the completion of a shower, when it is desired to disconnect the connected edge of the shower curtain from the wall 10, it is simply necessary to pull or slide the edge of the curtain containing the magnets relative to the metallic members 22 in order to disconnect said edge of the shower curtain from the wall 10, whereupon the curtain may be moved readily to open position.

The curtain positioning or connecting means comprising the present invention readily is adapted to being sold in package or kit form such as in a small envelope or box containing a plurality of pairs of the magnets 26 and metallic members 22. Said magnets and members have the adhesive layers permanently affixed to one surface of each and such surfaces preferably are covered by a sheet-like protective layer 32 as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. The sheet-like protective layer 32 is formed from any suitable material such as varnished paper or the like which is peelable readily from the adhesive layers 24 and 30 which are of the tacky, pressure sensitive type. The protective layer 32 preferably protects the adhesive layers from contact with atmospheric air and thus preserve the adhesive layers in tacky condition, whereby, upon peeling the protective layers 32 from the adhesive coatings, said coatings are exposed and are in condition to be applied and adhesively afiixed selectively to a wall surface, curtain, or the like.

Such a set of curtain positioning or holding means is relatively inexpensive and readily may be attached to a curtain and wall assembly with which the same is to be used for example, the adhesive securing means which are connected to one surface of each of the magnets and metallic members 22 rendering the members relatively attached to the surfaces to which they are to be connected. I

Wall tiles formed from various types of synthetic resin commonly are used at present and it is preferred that the adhesive layer used on the metallic members 22 or magnets 26 be compatable with the synthetic resin .of the tile, for example, in order to insure adhesive and firm connection of these members with the tile surface, preferably without dissolving or disintegrating the tile resin to any substantial degree. This is also preferable relative to applying any of said members to a shower curtain made from synthetic resin but pressure sensitive adhesives presently are available which are adhesive relative to a wide range of synthetic resins without deleteriously affecting said resins.

Inasmuch as many bath tubs available at present comprise a cast iron or pressed steel base coated by baked enamel or the like, such ferrous-type base material provldes means to which the magnets 26 readily may be detachably connected by magnetic force, whereby suchmagnets may be attached to the lower portions of a shower curtain for example for connection to the inside surface of a tub for example. If, however, the lower edge of a curtain is to be detachably connected to a nonferrous surface of a tub or sill of a shower stall for example as where ceramic material is used, the metallic members 22 may be aflixed to such non-ferrous surface for engagement by magnets 26 which are fixed to the lower portions of a shower curtain for example.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the present invention provides a simple and relatively inexpensive, easily attached curtain positioning or connecting means to be used particularly with shower curtains and bath tub or shower stall installations and the walls adjacent the same. The invention is capable of being provided in inexpensive kit or package form for ready merchandising by hardware or plumbing supply stores, five and ten cent stores, direct mail sale, as well as through any other appropriate selling channels. The invention components readily are attachable to the surfaces with which they are to be used which include not only shower curtains and walls adjacent the same but also with a number of different kinds of curtains or drapes hung relative to window frames, door frames, and the like.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in its several preferred embodiments, and has included certain details, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described since the same may be carried 6 out in other ways falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

In combination with a bathing appliance adjacent a non-metallic wall, a shower curtain suspended substantially vertically across an opening in the bathing appliance, a magnet attached adhesively to a vertical edge of said curtain, and a magnetizable member afiixed adhesively to said wall in vertical alignment with the magnet on said curtain in use, whereby said magnet will adhere magnetically to said magnetizable member on said wall and releasably hold said vertical edge of said curtain against said wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,212,326 Piken Aug. 20, 1940 2,319,292 Boggs May 18, 1943 2,448,611 Martin Sept. 7, 1948 2,639,751 Flaherty May 26, 1953 2,649,330 Schamel et al. Aug. 18, 1953 2,699,618 Stupell Jan. 18, 1955 2,702,191 Lemelson Feb. 15, 1955 

